60 years in Dependence: Reflections on the Diamond Jubilee of the Republic

Author Lawyer Imran Darboe © Askanwi

By Imran Darboe

Sixty years ago, The Gambia shook off its colonial shackles and embraced political independence. Despite the uncertainty and scepticism over its viability, the vision and the promise was one of self-determination, dignity, and a future by Gambians for Gambians. We have persisted, and here we are 60 years on. But history seldom takes a straight path. Although The Gambia defied the odds and, in its nascent state, developed into a stable, fledgling, and respectable democracy, the country has often found itself caught in an unending loop, as the leaders mimicked colonial structures they sought to escape, reducing democracy to a borrowed costume rather than the essence of self-determination.

60 years on, the country stands at a crossroads again—burdened by debt and socioeconomic near-paralysis, scarred by authoritarianism, and grappling with deepening divisions. If ever there was a time to pause and reflect, it is now. What has gone wrong? And more importantly, how can The Gambia break free from this loop and chart a new, transformative course?

Independence, it turned out, was a beginning, not an end, and democracy was something to be continuously nurtured, not merely installed. The early years under Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara were stable but stagnant in many ways. Despite a notable respect for human rights, governance followed the colonial blueprint. Dependent on the colonial administrative structure, rather than fostering a transformative democracy, the regime became centred around elite patronage and centralised authority, where an urban elite largely held power while the rural masses remained politically and economically marginalised. The colony/protectorate (rural/urban) divide established during colonial rule remained intact while political parties revolved around personalities rather than ideology. This fragile structure, which resulted in a widening socio-economic divide during the latter part of the first regime, made the 1994 military coup almost inevitable. As Fukuyama warns in Political Order and Political Decay, when states fail to develop strong institutions, democracy remains an empty shell, and as empty shells go, The Gambia’s democracy crumbled.

If Jawara’s regime was marked by inertia towards transformation, Yahya Jammeh’s reign was defined by fear. Ruling by the classic playbook of despots, Jammeh dismantled institutions, crushed dissent, and blurred the lines between state and self, transforming himself into a true Leviathan. Jammeh killed every notion of the rule of law, which Bingham notes must be based on clear, predictable laws rather than the whims of a ruler. Instead the law became a tool of oppression, courts were used to silence critics, security forces operated with impunity, and political opponents disappeared in the night. Jammeh replicated the colonial strategy of control, using coercion instead of legitimacy to maintain power. He mastered the art and ruled through a combination of brutality and spectacle. He draped himself in a guise of religiosity and mysticism and preached in the language of patriotism, but in reality, his governance was nothing more than an elaborate performance designed to keep the populace in awe and obedience.

If we must reflect and fathom a new and progressive road ahead, we must first admit that, despite the outward democratic rituals, true sovereignty in The Gambia—like in much of post-colonial Africa—has never truly rested with the people. The transition from colonial rule to self-rule was largely a shift in power from colonists to local elites but did little to fundamentally transform governance. They adopted western constitutional frameworks, including regular votes, tripartite state mechanisms, and a variety of state institutions, but these lack the social contract underpinnings that make them legitimate and responsive to the needs of the people. The concept of sovereignty, as championed in Western democracies, is built upon centuries of negotiated power between rulers and citizens. In The Gambian context, however, it remains centralised, a continuation of the Leviathan-like authority of the colonial state. The people remain subjects rather than true participants in governance. Thus, elections, though frequent, are hardly a tool for genuine accountability.

The challenge for The Gambia, therefore, is not just reforming laws and institutions but reimagining governance itself. Instead of clinging to borrowed systems that remain disconnected from the realities of Gambians, state legitimacy must be anchored to the collective will of its people. When Jammeh was finally ousted from the nation, the hope was for a new dawn. The new regime began with promise, but Gambians have found themselves falling into familiar patterns. Patronage politics have returned, many institutions remained weak, and the temptation of power grows stronger among leaders. Meanwhile, the country’s economic reality looks grimmer by the day. High debt, youth unemployment, and over-reliance on remittances and aid remain the order of the day. The extractive framework seems to exacerbate wealth and power concentrated in the hands of a few.

Rewriting the script of independence for the Gambia requires courage, vision, and an honest commitment to transformation. As the country stands at a moment of reckoning, sixty years after independence, we must decide whether to continue the current cycle or finally take the steps towards transformation. For too long, sovereignty in The Gambia has sounded hollow — proclaimed in the name of the people but never truly resting with them. It is time to fill that void with substance, to build a republic that does not merely exist on paper but thrives in the lived experiences of its citizens.

History is still being written, and every citizen must step up to the page. The moment demands not just reforms but a radical rethinking of governance itself. In this endeavour, Gambians and civil society cannot wait for an invitation; they must reclaim sovereignty. The Gambian people must reject governance as performance and demand governance as service. Sovereignty must move from a rhetorical tool of the ruling class to a lived reality for every Gambian. Towards a century since independence, this is the only way to salvage our freedom and set towards a path that builds on the political freedoms that were gained on `18th February 1965.